David Bossie, the president of Citizens United, has taken a leave of absence from his post until after Election Day, the Washington Examiner has learned.
“Dave’s leave is effective at close of business yesterday,” Michael Boos, the organization’s executive vice president, wrote in an email Thursday to allies of the conservative watchdog group, which was later obtained by the Examiner.
Bossie, the former chief investigator for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has led Citizens United since 2001. He was at the helm of the organization in 2010, when the group won a landmark Supreme Court case that opened up the door to corporate spending on elections and subsequent changes to campaign finance laws.
During a radio interview earlier this month, Bossie said he and Donald Trump became friends after they “got together a few times” when the billionaire was toying with a presidential bid in 2011. At the time, he introduced Trump to Breitbart News’ Steve Bannon, who now serves as CEO of the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign.
Bossie’s colleague, Bryan Lanza, also joined the Trump campaign earlier this summer after working as the communications director for Citizens United. Neither Bossie nor Boos, who has taken over as acting president, returned the Examiner’s request for comment.
According to Boos’ email, Bossie is expected to return to Citizens United “shortly after the Nov. 8 elections.”
